The Ev-ryTin

TheEvryTin Top 10 Security Tools for 2008!!!

2008-12-23T20:18:00.013-05:00

1- Comodo Firewall Pro
This firewall is one of the best available. It comes stacked with multiple tools (including built in Antivirus) that help protect your system from hackers and other types of attacks. It also applies access control for installed programs and system services. Best on its class

Get it here

2- AVG Antivirus Free
This free anti-virus is rated one of the best on its class. It scans files on the fly, upon opening, in e-mails and more.

Get it here

3- HijackThis
There are many tools out there for free that can help you get your spyware/adware troubles fixed. However; few tools have the ability to engage multiple security savvy guys out in multiple sites that can review your PC security settings and recommend the best solutions - FOR FREE!!!.

HijackThis is that tool. Run the app on your PC and it will tell you what changes have been made by a malicious spyware/adware. You can then review the log file and seek help online if you can't interpret it yourself.

I think its worth checking out!!..

Get it here

4- NanoScan
While HijackThis can do an awesome job at detecting changes performed on your PC, NanoScan can scan all of your running processes in less than a minute and detect which are Trojan horses, Spyware, Viruses and other malicious software that could be running on your PC. Great tool for analyzing your running processes.

Get it here
Note: Might need to install a plug-in

5- ShieldsUp
After you install your security tools, you need to verify and make sure that what they perform as good as they claim to be able to. To do this, you use ShieldsUp. This cool tool will do some system profiling on your PC and tell you which stools are slacking and which are working as expected. No bad to make sure the tools are reliable and accurate.

Get it here

6- PC Flank
Well, you have ShieldsUp which helps ensure your Firewall is running as expected and all ports are blocked, PC Flank will perform an attack on your firewall to see if it blocks them. Then it will tell you the results. This will tell you how well you are protected.

Get it here

7- EULAlyzer
Security is not all about protecting your PC, but also about protecting your self when clicking the Accept bottom while downloading or installing an application. By dragging the EULAlyzer tool into the EULA agreement you are making sure that you don't get yourself in trouble later. This tool performs a scan of the license agreement and generate a report on any problematic language it might encounter.

Get it here

8- Kruptos 2
This tool will secure specific folders/files by requesting a password to access them. Only the password holder can access the file. It also includes a file shredder.

Get it here

9- SmoothWall Express
A great way to protect your home/office network is by using a network firewall. This free tool will allow you to turn any old machine running a Pentium 200 MHz or higher with 128MB of memory or more into a network firewall. This tool won the Best of Open Source Software Awards (BOSSIES) in the open source security category for 2008.

Get it here

10- ZoneAlarm Free Edition
Last, but not least, we have ZoneAlarm Personal Firewall Free Edition. This firewall will block internet black attacks and includes program access control for inbound and outbound protection. This a firewall that I have personally used for a very long time on the past and can say that is another "best on its class" kind of firewall.

Get it here

Note:
Many of these tools were reviewed by PCMAG.com and their review can be found on the site's list of The Best Free Software. I have installed all of the above mention applications thus decided to choose them to form my top 10 list.

The number in which they are listed does not indicate a best to worst order. It is just the way I listed them. I am not liable for any issue you might encounter during the installation of these tools.

New segments will soon be added to the blog!

2008-12-23T20:09:00.003-05:00

Hello all,

I will be updating the blog more frequently. Apologize for the slow response to your questions. After the holidays, I will be implementing new and improved segments to the blog. More about the new stuff will be coming down the pipe later next month. Stay tune and thanks for your continued support.

Elgato!

Install Fedora on a PS3 with Clustering

2008-12-18T19:13:00.003-05:00

I found this to be interesting. How cool is it to be able to install Fedora on your PS3? I think its great and would definetly try it.

For instructions on how to do it, go here.

Intel completes 32-nanometer chip

2008-12-13T23:07:00.002-05:00

I was reading the article for the new 32-nm chip from Intel earlier today. I figured this is something worth placing on the blog and commenting on. I would love to see this new chip in action. Just how much can we shrink the processors? This is just an excellent example of how far technology has come in the last couple of decades.

For those who have not read the article click here to be directed to C-Net.

Google Native Client

2008-12-09T22:48:00.004-05:00

I was reading about Google's Native Client. I hope that the intended purpose of this project is accomplished. This will be a nice upgrade to our current software (Flash, Java, etc). For those not familiar with this project follow the links below.

Google Code Blog info on Native Client
Download Native Client for Windows, Linux, MAC
Install the distribution and run demos, following the instructions in the Getting Started Guide

If you want to contribute to this project even more visit the Native Client Home page. Here you can find all the links provided above and much more.

Have Fun and update this blog with any comments regarding your experience with Native Client.

The Sad Reality of the US Economy

2008-11-12T17:37:00.001-05:00

Clark Howard the consumer reporter suggest not giving gift cards at all this year. If the business goes under, the card will be no good and that will just be money down the drain.

Ann Taylor closing 117 stores nationwide A company spokeswoman said the company hasn't revealed which stores will be shuttered. It will let the stores that will close this fiscal year know over the next month.

Eddie Bauer to close more stores Eddie Bauer has already closed 27 shops in the first quarter and plans to close up to two more outlet stores by the end of the year.

Cache closing store s. Woman's retailer Cache announced that it is closing 20 to 23 stores this year.

Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, Catherines closing 150 stores nationwide. The owner of retailers Lane Bryant , Fashion Bug , Catherines Plus Sizes will close about 150 under performing stores this year. The company hasn't provided a list of specific store closures and can't say when it will offer that info, spokeswoman Brooke Perry said today.

Talbots, J. Jill closing stores. About a month ago, Talbots announced that it will be shuttering all 78 of its kids and men's stores. Now the company says it will close another 22 under performing stores.. The 22 stores will be a mix of Talbots woman's and J. Jill , another chain it owns. The closures will occur this fiscal year, according to a company press release.

Gap Inc. closing 85 stores. In addition to its namesake chain, Gap also owns Old Navy and Banana Republic . The company said the closures - all planned for fiscal 2008 - will be weighted toward the Gap brand.

Foot Locker to close 140 stores. In the company press release and during its conference call with analysts today, it did not specify where the future store closures - all planned in fiscal 2008 - will be. The company could not be immediately reached for comment.

Wickes is going out of business. Wickes Furniture is going out of business and closing all of its stores, Wickes, a 37-year-old retailer that targets middle-income customers, filed for bankruptcy protection last month.

Goodbye Levitz / BOMBAY - closed already. The furniture retailer is going out of business. Levitz first announced it was going out of business a nd closing all 76 of its stores in December. The retailer dates back to 1910 when Richard Levitz opened his first furniture store in Lebanon , PA. In the 1960s, the warehouse/showroom concept brought Levitz to the forefront of the furniture industry. The local Levitz closures will follow the shutdown of Bombay .

Zales, Piercing Pagoda closing stores. The owner of Zales and Piercing Pagoda previously said it plans to close 82 stores by July 31. Today, it announced that it is closing another 23 under performing stores. The company said it's not providing a list of specific store closures. Of the 105 locations planned for closure, 50 are kiosks and 55 are stores.

Disney Store owner has the right to close 98 stores. The Walt Disney Company announced it acquired about 220 Disney Stores from subsidiaries of The Children's Place Retail Stores. The exact number of store s acquired will depend on negotiations with landlords. Those subsidiaries of Children's Place filed for bankruptcy protection in late March. Walt Disney in the news release said it has also obtained the right to close about 98 Disney Stores in the U.S. The press release didn't list those stores.

Home Depot store closings (E. Brunswick, Rt 18 just put up their closing sign). ATLANTA - Nearly 7+ months after its chief executive said there were no plans to cut the number of its core retail stores, The Home Depot Inc.
announced Thursday that it is shuttering 15 of them amid a slumping U.S.economy and housing market. The move will affect 1,300 employees. It is the first time the world's largest home improvement store chain has ever closed a flagship store for performance reasons. Its shares rose almost 5 percent.The Atlanta-based company said the under performing U.S. stores being closed represent less than 1 percent of its existing stores. They will be shuttered within the next two months.

CompUSA (CLOSED) clarifies details on store closings. Any extended warranties purchased for products through CompUSA will be honored by a third-party provider, Assurant Solutions. Gift cards, rain checks, and rebates purchased prior to December 12 can be redeemed at any time during the final sale. For those who have a gadget currently in for service with CompUSA, the repair will be completed and the gadget will be returned to owners.
http://www.news.com Macy's - 9 stores.

Movie Gallery - 160 stores as part of reorganization plan to exit bankruptcy. The video rental company plans to close 400 of 3,500 Movie Gallery and Hollywood Video stores in addition to the 520 locations the video rental chain closed last fall.

Pacific Sunwear - 153 Demo stores.

Pep Boys - 33 stores.

Sprint Nextel - 125 retail locations. New Sprint Nextel CEO Dan Hesse appears to have inherited a company bleeding subscribers by the thousands, and will now officially be dropping the ax on 4,000 employees and 125 retail locations. Amid the loss of 639,000 postpaid customers in the fourth quarter, Sprint will be cutting a total of 6.7% of its work force (following the 5,000 layoffs last year) and 8% of company-owned brick-and-mortar stores, while remaining mute on other rumors that it will consolidate its headquarters in Kansas . Sprint Nextel shares are down $2.89, or nearly 25%, at the time of this writing.

J. C. Penney, Lowe's are scaling back.

Ethan Allen Interiors: The company announced plans to close 12 of 300+ stores in an effort to cut costs.

Wilsons The Leather Experts - 158 stores.

Pacific Sunwear Will close its 154 Demo stores after a review of strategic alternatives for the urban-apparel brand. Seventy-four under performing Demo stores closed last May.

Sharper Image: The company recently filed for bankruptcy protection and announced that 90 of its 184 stores are closing. The retailer will still operate 94 stores to pay off debts, but 90 of these stores have performed poorly and also may close.

Bombay Company: (Freehold Mall store closed) The company unveiled plans to close all 384 U.S.-based Bombay Company stores. The company's online storefront has discontinued operations.

KB Toys posted a list of 356 stores that it is closing around the United States as part of its bankruptcy reorganization. To see the list of store closings, go to the KB Toys Information web site, and click on Press Information.

Dillard's to Close More Stores. Dillard's Inc. said it will continue to focus on closing under performing stores, reducing expenses and improving its merchandise in 2008. At the company's annual shareholder meeting, CEO William Dillard II said the company will close another six underperformed stores this year.

And there is a lot more out there that are going through the same thing. Just sad

TheEvryTin 2008 Election Results by Google

2008-11-04T17:59:00.000-05:00

Greasemonkey - One of the best things Firefox has to offer

2008-10-19T16:01:00.004-04:00

I've been playing around with greasemonkey lately and though that it would just be fair to mention to you guys how great this is. With this extension I am able to change how google.com looks or gmail, how to easily download embedded videos from websites and a lot more. You might want to check it out. Please see my new google home page below.

Origens of Life Explained?

2008-10-19T15:10:00.007-04:00

I found this article while browsing Wired and though you might like to know where you come from. Read on...

Originally considered a dud, an old volcano-in-a-bottle experiment designed to mimic conditions that may have brewed the components of life might have been right on target.

After reanalyzing the results of unpublished research conducted by Stanley Miller in 1953, chemists realized that his experiment had actually produced a wealth of amino acids — the protein foundation of life.

Miller is famed for the results of experiments on amino acid formation in a jar filled with methane, hydrogen and ammonia — his version of the primordial soup. However, his estimates of atmospheric composition were eventually considered inaccurate. The experiment became regarded as a general rather than useful example of how the first organic molecules may have assembled.

But the latest results, derived from samples found in an old box by one of Miller's former graduate students, come from a device that mimicked volcanic conditions now believed to have existed three billion years ago. The findings suggest that amino acids could have formed when lightning struck pools of gas on the flanks of volcanoes, and are a fitting coda for the late father of prebiotic chemistry.

"What's amazing is that he did it," said study co-author Jeffrey Bada, a Scripps Institute of Oceanography biochemist and Miller's former student. "All I did is have access to his extracts."

Bada stumbled across the original experiment by accident when a colleague of Miller's mentioned having seen a box of experimental samples in Miller's office. Bada, who inherited Miller's scientific possessions after his death in 2007, found the box — literally labeled "1953-1954 experiments" — in his own office.

Inside it were samples taken by Miller from a device that spewed a concentrated stream of primordial gases over an electrical spark. It was a high-powered variation on the steady-steam apparatus that earned him fame — but unlike that device, it appeared to have produced few amino acids, and was unmentioned in his landmark 1953 Science study, "A Production of Amino Acids Under Possible Primitive Earth Conditions."

But Miller didn't have access to high-performance liquid chromatography, which lets chemists break down and classify samples with once-unthinkable levels of precision. And when Bada's team reanalyzed the disregarded samples, they found no fewer than 22 amino acids, several of which were never seen by Miller in a lifetime of primordial modeling.

Perhaps amino acids first formed when the gases in Miller's device accumulated around active volcanoes, said Bada. "Instead of having global synthesis of organic molecules, you had a lot of little localized factories in the form of these volcanic islands," he said.

"The amino acid precursors formed in a plume and concentrated along tidal shores. They settled in the water, underwent further reactions there, and as they washed along the shore, became concentrated and underwent further polymerization events," explained Indiana University biochemist Adam Johnson, a co-author of the study. "And lightning" — the final catalyst in the equation — "tends to be extremely common with volcanic eruptions."

Luke Leman, a Scripps Institute biochemist who was not involved in the study, published today in Science, agreed.

"These findings add to a growing body of literature suggesting that areas near volcanoes could have been hotspots of organic chemistry on early Earth," he said.

Leman continued, "These findings will likely inspire a next generation of prebiotic chemists, much as Miller's original experimental results have inspired the field for more than fifty years."

Added Bada, "There's a lesson here: don't throw anything away."

The Miller Volcanic Spark Discharge Experiment [Science]

Images: Flydime / Science

Note: Added Harvard University prebiotic chemist Jack Szostak by email after the article went to press: "I like this work, because it shows that we have to think about local environments where specific classes of molecules can be made. Some good stuff might get made near (not in!) volcanoes, other good stuff might get made in other environments. At least this helps get away from the silly old idea that life began in an oceanic primordial soup (too homogeneous and too dilute for anything interesting to happen)."

Source: blog.Wired.com

Theevrytin Reviews - G1 - Google Android

2008-10-16T20:41:00.007-04:00

Well, after waiting for months, the new G1 smartphone is here. Powered by Google's own OS - Android - and packed with bunch of features, it is probably one of the hottest smartphones in the market right now. The service is being provided by T-Mobile and even though this is not a competition - at least not yet - for the iPhone, Apple should still consider this to be a wake up call for its future releases. It is clear to me that soon enough there will be another phone with the Android OS that can surpass the iPhone by far. Apple keep an eye out, Google is coming for you!!! - At least this is what I think..

Bottom line is that after you put together the amount of tools that Google has at its disposal with the Android OS and integrate all these features as they did, it is clear to see what I mean about this phone having the potential of soon surpassing the iPhone. The features have been so nicely integrated that it is just seamless to the user, thus making it simple to use and operate. Once you type your user name and password for you G-Mail account, you are all set. All of your e-mails as well as contacts and all that, is magically there. Google talk and all gets setup and signed in, very cool!!!

The IM tools which supports Google Talk, Windows Live, AOL and Yahoo Messenger is probably the best available out there. Not to mention Google Search and Google Apps integration. This was done flawless. It will make you want to use them all the time.

It supports multiple music player formats, including; MP3, AAC, M4A, DRM-free, WMA, WAV, AMR, MIDI and OGG Vorbis.

In addition to all this, you have the OS itself. The Android OS is probably one of the easiest and fastest to navigate. There is no lag and its much faster than that of the iPhone.

The Keyboard operates very nicely and its very simple to use.

Things I don't like?

- Less battery life when using all features
- It is heavier and bulkier than the iPhone by almost one oz (5.6 oz compared to 4.7 oz for the iPhone). Of course this is due to the simple fact that it has a full Qwerty keyboard. So, its not that bad.
- The screen itself is not multi-touch as that of the the iPhone. Because of this you can't expand in and out as you do in the iPhone. Not good for those used to this feature.

Regardless of these little imperfection, I still give it a 5 out 5 star rating. Way to go Google!!!

TheEvryTin Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Videos and Pics below:

Images credit: lifehacker

Comments

2008-10-16T20:32:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to take a second to address a little issue here. I noticed that I've been getting some traffic lately and no comments are being posted. You do realize that you don't have to subscribe to post comments, right?. Just wanted to make sure you were aware.

It's OK to post anonymously!! Let others know what you think. Thanks!!

Obama delays MLB Game

2008-10-16T20:26:00.002-04:00

I found this interesting and wanted to know your thoughts on the subject. Read on....

"NEW YORK (AP)—Major League Baseball has agreed to push back the start time of a potential World Series Game 6 by eight minutes to allow Democrat Barack Obama to purchase a half-hour of air time on the Fox network.

Baseball spokesman Pat Courtney said Thursday that the game time would now be set for 8:35 p.m.

The Obama presidential campaign said Oct. 9 that it had bought the 8-8:30 p.m slot on CBS and NBC.

“Fox will accommodate Senator Obama’s desire to communicate with voters in this long-form format,” network spokesman Lou D’Ermilio said in a statement. “We are pleased that Major League Baseball has agreed to delay the first pitch of World Series Game 6 for a few minutes in order for Fox to carry his program on Oct. 29. If requested, the network would be willing to make similar time available to Senator McCain’s campaign.”

The World Series has not gone to a sixth game since 2003.

The decision was first reported by The Hollywood Reporter. "
Source: Yahoo! Sports

I don't know why the big deal or the reason why they would have to delay a game for this. I mean, its not like they are going to say anything new. Everything that both candidates are saying now they have already been saying for months. What do you think?

Davin Harris put to shame

2008-10-14T22:08:00.003-04:00

Check out how this guy from London shake Davin Harris' pants at his own game.

Well, the guy in the black sweater is actually a pretty good player. His name is Stuart Tanner and he is supposed to be a playground legend on his area.

More at Yahoo! Sports

Meaning of ' Barack Hussein Obama '

2008-10-14T21:31:00.006-04:00

Hello there. Sorry for my delay on any new postings to my site. I've been a little busier than usual lately.

Anyway, I found this article while browsing the net the other day and though that it would be helpful to post it in here. It is something that many people still don't understand and think of it totally different than it really is. Don't take me wrong, I don't particularly care much for either of the two presidential candidates. I think each has their strong views, but don't really care for their stand regarding the environment. I think of myself as an environmentalist who care and appreciate our planet and who would like to see something done to preserve it. Whit that said, please read the below for some interesting information regarding the name "Barack Hussein Obama".

By Juan Cole
President of the Global Americana Institute
jricole@gmail.com
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Barack Hussein Obama, Omar Bradley, Benjamin Franklin and other Semitically Named American Heroes

At Cincinnati, Bill Cunningham, according to the LAT, who "introduced presidential candidate John McCain at a rally here today accused Barack Obama of sympathizing with 'world leaders who want to kill us' and invoked Obama's middle name -- three times calling him 'Barack Hussein Obama.' " John McCain repudiated Cunningham's low tactics and said that using the middle name like that three times was "inappropriate" and would never happen again at one of his rallies.

I want to say something about Barack Hussein Obama's name. It is a name to be proud of. It is an American name. It is a blessed name. It is a heroic name, as heroic and American in its own way as the name of General Omar Nelson Bradley or the name of Benjamin Franklin. And denigrating that name is a form of racial and religious bigotry of the most vile and debased sort. It is a prejudice against names deriving from Semitic languages!

Christian, Western heroes have often been bequeathed Middle Eastern names. Rodrigo Diaz de Vivar, the medieval Spanish hero, carried the name El Cid, from the Arabic al-Sayyid, "the lord."

Barack and Hussein are Semitic words. Americans have been named with Semitic names since the founding of the Republic. Fourteen of our 43 presidents have had Semitic names (see below). And, American English contains many Arabic-derived words that we use every day and without which we would be much impoverished. America is a world civilization with a world heritage, something Cunninghamism will never understand.

Barack is a Semitic word meaning "to bless" as a verb or "blessing" as a noun. In its Hebrew form, barak, it is found all through the Bible. It first occurs in Genesis 1:22: "And God blessed (ḇāreḵə ) them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth."

Here is a list of how many times barak appears in each book of the Bible.

Now let us take the name "Hussein." It is from the Semitic word, hasan, meaning "good" or "handsome." Husayn is the diminutive, affectionate form.

Barack Obama's middle name is in honor of his grandfather, Hussein, a secular resident of Nairobi. Americans may think of Saddam Hussein when they hear the name, but that is like thinking of Stalin when you hear the name Joseph. There have been lots of Husseins in history, from the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, a hero who touched the historian Gibbon, to King Hussein of Jordan, one of America's most steadfast allies in the 20th century. The author of the beloved American novel, The Kite Runner, is Khaled Hosseini.

But in Obama's case, it is just a reference to his grandfather.

It is worth pointing out that John McCain's adopted daughter, Bridget, is originally from Bangladesh. Since Hussein is a very common name in Bangladesh, it is entirely possible that her birth father or grandfather was named Hussein. McCain certainly has Muslim relatives via adoption in his family. If Muslim relatives are a disqualification from high office in the United States, then McCain himself is in trouble. In fact, since Bridget is upset that George W. Bush doesn't like her "because she is black," and used her to stop the McCain campaign in South Carolina in 2000, you understand why McCain would be especially sensitive to race-baiting of Cunningham's sort. The question is how vigorously he will combat it; he hasn't been above Muslim-taunting in the campaign so far. (And, the McCains really should let Bridget know that she is Asian, not "black." The poor girl; Bush and Rove have done a number on her, and Cindy's confusion can't help.)

The other thing to say about grandfathers named Hussein is that very large numbers of African-Americans probably have an ancestor ten or eleven generations ago with that name, in what is now Mali or Senegal or Nigeria. And, since so many thousands of Arab Muslims were made to convert to Catholicism in Spain after 1501, many Latinos have distant ancestors named Hussein, too. In fact, since there was a lot of Arab-Spanish intermarriage, and since there was subsequent Spanish intermarriage with other European Catholics, more European Americans are descended from a Hussein than they realize. The British royal family is quite forthright about the Arab line in their ancestry going back to Andalusia.

Obama, being a cousin of Dick Cheney on one side and having relatives in Kenya on the other, is just more and more typical of the 21st century United States.

So, anyway, Obama's first two names mean "Blessing, the Good." If we are lucky enough to get him for president, we can only hope that his names are prophetic for us.

Which brings me to Omar Bradley. Omar is an alternative spelling of Umar, i.e. Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second caliph of Sunni Islam. Presumably General Bradley was named for the poet Omar Khayyam, who bore the caliph's name. Omar Khayyam's Rubaiyat, in the "translation" of Edward FitzGerald, became enormously popular in Victorian America.

Gen. Omar Bradley, who bore a Semitic, Muslim first name, and shared it with the second Caliph of Sunni Islam, was the hero of D-Day and Normandy, of the Battle of the Bulge and the Ruhr.

Would Mr. Cunningham see Omar Bradley as un-American, as an enemy because of his name?

What about other American heroes, such as Gen. George Joulwan, former NATO Supreme Allied Commander of Europe? "Joulwan" is an Arabic name. Or there is Gen. John Abizaid, former CENTCOM commander. Abizaid is an Arabic name. Abi means Abu or "father of," and Zaid is a common Arab first name. Is Cunningham good enough to wipe their shoes? Is he going to call them traitors because they have Arabic names?

What about Congressman Darrell Issa of California? ("`Isa" means Jesus in Arabic). Former cabinet secretary Donna Shalala? (Shalala means "waterfall" in Arabic).

I won't go into all the great Americans with Arabic names in sports, entertainment and business, against whom Cunningham would apparently discriminate on that basis. Does he want to take citizenship away from Kareem Abdul Jabbar [meaning "noble the servant of the Mighty"] and Ahmad Jamal [meaning "the most praised, beauty"]? What about Rihanna ["sweet basil," "aromatic"]? Tony Shalhoub [i.e. Mr. Monk]?

Let us take Benjamin Franklin. His first name is from the Hebrew Bin Yamin, the son of the Right (hand), or son of strength, or the son of the South (yamin or right has lots of connotations). The "Bin" means "son of," just as in modern colloquial Arabic. Bin Yamin Franklin is not a dishonorable name because of its Semitic root. By the way, there are lots of Muslims named Bin Yamin.

As for an American president bearing a name derived from a Semitic language, that is hardly unprecedented.

John Adams really only had Semitic names. His first name is from the Hebrew Yochanan, or gift of God, which became Johan and then John. (In German and in medieval English, "y" is represented by "j" but was originally pronounced "y".) Adams is from the biblical Adam, which also just means "human being." In Arabic, one way of saying "human being" is "Bani Adam," the children of men.

Thomas Jefferson's first name is from the Aramaic Tuma, meaning "twin." Aramaic is a Semitic language spoken by Jesus, which is related to Hebrew and Arabic. In Arabic twin is tau'am, so you can see the similarity.

James Madison, James Monroe and James Polk all had a Semitic first name, derived from the Hebrew Ya'aqov or Jacob, which is Ya`qub in Arabic. It became Iacobus in Latin, then was corrupted to Iacomus, and from there became James in English.

Zachary Taylor's first name is from the Hebrew Zachariah, which means "the Lord has remembered."

Abraham Lincoln, of course is, named for the patriarch Abraham, from the Semitic word for father, Ab, and the word for "multitude," raham,. Abu, "father of," is a common element in Arab names today.

So, Mr. Cunningham, Barack Hussein Obama fits right in this list of presidents with Semitic names. In fact, we haven't had one for a while. We are due for another one.

A blessed and good one.

posted by Juan Cole @ 2/27/2008 12:02:00 AM
For original post click here.

How much time do you spend surfing the web while working?

2008-09-26T17:57:00.003-04:00

I found this article interesting and funny, so I though you guys might like it. I still think is miscalculated a bit, people spend more time than this on the web while working.

"If you're reading this while your boss thinks you're hammering away on some code or updating that Excel spreadsheet, then you're likely one of the workers that spend about 25 percent of their work time doing personal stuff online. And chances are that your boss doesn't even know it.

Network security consultant firm Voco says that CEOs and CIOs of companies are often completely unaware of what employees are doing online during work hours, allowing them (especially the tech-savvy ones) to get away with all sorts of online goofing off. Employees tend to spend work time browsing eBay auctions, using online dating or social networking sites, chatting over IM, and more, and they do it for just over a quarter of the time they spend at work.

Sometimes, employees also make use of company resources to engage in nefarious activities, like downloading movies and music over P2P. According to Voco's data, for example, many of the prerelease downloads of Hellboy: The Golden Army were over corporate networks. Not only does this consume bandwidth meant for business, it also opens up corporate networks to spyware, adware, and other challenges for network security. And, of course, it could pose a legal issue for the company in question as well. "If investigators were tracking who was downloading, then the company address would turn up and the company would be the one facing legal implications," Voco consultant Paul Hortop said in a statement.

At the same time, not all "personal" Internet use is necessarily bad. Hortop points out that sometimes it can be a challenge to determine exactly what kind of use is inappropriate. "Is it more time-efficient to let staff do their banking online than having them leave the office for half an hour?" he asks. Additionally, workers spending time on social networking sites could actually help the company, given their increased importance to businesses.

Of course, surfing at work isn't exactly a new phenomenon. In a survey conducted in 2005, 93 percent of all US employees admitted to using their employer's Internet access for personal reasons as well as business ones, and 52 percent said they would rather give up coffee than their Internet connections at work. How much that personal Internet use actually impacts businesses is up in the air, however. Websense claims that such behavior costs American corporations nearly $200 billion per year, although given the tiny sample used when drawing that conclusion, the actual number may be quite a bit different.

Regardless of how much it's costing companies, what's important is to make sure you're actually getting your work done while you're not checking your friends' status updates in Facebook or overbidding on an eBay auction. Now, get back to work!"

Source: arstechnica.com

700 billions, what can you buy?

2008-09-25T18:00:00.001-04:00

I found this link interesting and funny. Check it out

What Does $700 Billion Actually Buy?

Impressive Jimy Hendrix Painting

2008-09-23T20:50:00.000-04:00

Really Cool Hendrix Painting - Watch more free videos

Decrypting and Removing Commercials from TiVo recordings the easy way

2008-09-16T21:02:00.011-04:00

I found this article on lifehacker and though that if you own a TiVo you might want to know this. I found it very helpful (although I don't use a TiVo myself, I know some of my friends who do and found this tool useful)

---Written as obtained from lifehacker. ---

While TiVo Desktop can transfer TiVo recordings to your computer or iPod, KMTTG downloads your TiVo's recordings, decrypts .TIVO files to a less proprietary file format like .AVI, and can detect and remove commercials to reduce the file size (and the time it takes to fast-forward through ads). Let's take a look at how to decrypt and scrub commercials from your TiVo recordings with KMTTG.

Note: KMTTG is a Perl program that works on either Windows or Linux and requires some light command line work. The instructions below are Windows-focused. KMTTG presumably stands for Kevin Moye TiVo To Go (Moye is KMTTG's developer). Moye explains what KMTTG is and why he built it:

KMTTG is a Perl/Tk program I wrote to facilitate TivoToGo (TTG) transfers that can download, create metadata, decrypt, run comskip & comcut (commercial detection and removal) and re-encode multiple shows you select from your Tivos all in one step. The program also has the capability to transfer and process shows automatically from your Tivos based on titles and keywords you set up.

You can select one or more shows at a time and then with one click of a button the program will download all the selected items, with the options of also automatically creating a metadata file for pyTivo, decrypting .TiVo files to .mpg, running comskip (commercial detection and removal program), and automatically re-encoding to a more portable format using mencoder, ffmpeg or any other command line encoder of your choosing. The program queues up multiple jobs and displays time, size and speed statistics for ongoing jobs.

Previously I was using different point tools to accomplish this, such as Tivo Desktop or TivoPlayList for downloads, pyTivoMetaGen for generating metadata files, Tivo Decoder UI for decrypting and various GUIs built around ffmpeg for re-encoding. I did not want to pay for or be limited by Tivo Desktop Plus. This is my attempt to simplify and automate these different tasks all into one simple GUI.

What You'll Need to Run KMTTG

Before you get started, gather up all the info and downloads you need to run KMTTG:

* A Windows or Linux PC on the same network as your TiVo.
* Your TiVo's IP address, which you can get by going to Messages & Settings > Settings > Phone & Network on your TiVo.
* Your TiVo's MAK (Media Access Key), which you can find by going to Messages & Settings > Account & System Information > Media Access Key on your TiVo.
* ActiveState Perl with the Tk module. Version 5.8 includes Tk, but the latest version 5.10 does not. I grabbed version 5.8 and had no problems.

Install and Run KMTTG

Got all that? Good. Let's set this sucker up.

1. Extract the KMTTG .ZIP file to a directory on your hard drive, like C:\kmttg\.
2. Extract the KMTTG third party tools (required for KMTTG to run) to your hard drive, and make sure all the subfolders go below your KMTTG source directory. In my example, I've got a curl, ffmpeg, and comskip subfolder in my c:\kmttg\ folder.

Once KMTTG and its dependencies are extracted and ready to use, if you have ActiveState Perl installed, you can just double-click on the kmttg.pl file to launch it.
First Things First: Configure KMTTG

Before you do anything with KMTTG, you have to tell it where your TiVo is, give it the Media Access Key, and also tell it where to save files. From the File menu choose Configure (or hit Ctrl+O). Enter your TiVo name and IP address and hit the Add button. Set your output directory to where you want KMTTG to save the resulting files, and enter your MAK, as shown. Then, select any other options you want. (I checked off "Remove .TiVo file after decrypt", for example, to save hard drive space.)

Click OK to save your options

If you've read this far, I assume you want to know how to do the whole setup. For complete details visit: lifehacker's complete article and instructions here

Source: Gina Trapani of lifehacker

What is like to be a prisoner at Guantanamo Bay

2008-09-16T20:38:00.006-04:00

They used to beat everybody. There was a man — he was really old and couldn’t see and couldn’t hear. If the guards told him something to do and he didn’t do it because he couldn’t hear, they went into his cage and beat him up. They did this for a couple minutes, and after that they took him out and brought him to isolation. That happened to me as well, a lot of times.

--Murat Kurnaz--
There doesn’t need to be a reason. First they would use a pepper spray. It’s burning. It is hot. You have trouble breathing and opening your eyes. All of your face is burning — your eyes especially and inside your nose. You can’t open your eyes because they are burning very hot. Since you have trouble breathing, you have to cough all the time. Then they’d punch me with their elbows. After they were done, they would write something down as to what could be the reason for it.

We were allowed to do the call to prayer every day, but they used to play music over us at the same time. The music some of the time was rock music, but most of the time they played the [American] national anthem. Or they used to kick the doors.

The worst thing about being in Guantánamo was having to live in the small cages. Most of the time there was nothing in there with me. Sometimes I had only my shorts on and nothing else. Nothing else except my shorts and myself.

I never lost my hope, of course. Not losing my hope is an important part of my religion.

Read an excerpt from Kurnaz’s book Five Years of My Life: An Innocent Man in Guantanamo at esquire.com/wifl08.

Read: What It Feels Like...to Be a Prison Guard at Guantánamo Bay
Source: esquire.com

The Ev-ryTin Reviews - Google Chrome

2008-09-09T21:02:00.009-04:00

As you all know, Google's new browser has enter the market and its making its presence known throughout internet.

I checked the browser and found it to be really fast, reliable and easy to use. The simple fact that it open a separate process for each tab is a neat feature. Then there is the look and feel which is unmatched by both, IE or Firefox. It would be nice to have a home page icon built in by default, but I can do without it.

In addition, there is quite a few tools that can help you find multiple issues or keep track of your browsing activities (see images below). Overall, there is a lot of similarities to Firefox, but it does bring new things and I think that, with time, as more upgrades and enhancements are added, we will be getting a more solid and powerful browser that will could potentially start taking away shares from IE and Firefox.

There is however a new extension in Firefox that would make it look almost exactly as Chrome, the only problem is, Firefox still has the same process for all of its tabs which makes browser crashes a problem. If the guys at Mozilla can fix this we would be talking differently.

TheEvryTin Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Get Chrome HERE
Get Firefox - Chrome Package 0.1.5 Here - WARNING - Its problematic to actually remove this extension once installed. If you add it and want it remove, follow the steps below:

1 - First remove the add-on
2 - Then, remove the folder called topper@digdug.org from your Firefox profile (make sure Firefox is closed before performing this step). This will make sure you keep your Firefox browser as it was.

Any questions, let me know.

Chrome tricks and config pages below:

About:Network

About:cache

About:crash

About:dns

About:histograms

About:memory

About:plugins

About:stats

About:version

Customizing Gmail Addresses

2008-09-06T23:06:00.004-04:00

If you want to create unlimited Gmail addresses for , say filtering out the incoming mail from work or your wife or something, just add a plus (+) to your user name and create a filter for that specific user.

For Example

To receive e-mail from your wife and have it filtered do this.

- Give your wife this e-mail address to send you stuff to:
yourusername+wife@gmail.com
- Then, go to your settings section and add a filter called Wife. Have any e-mail with a destination address matching yourusername+wife@gmail.com go into this filter and that's it.

From there on, any e-mail destined to that address is going to be sorted to that filter.

You can also add dots to the address. Gmail ignores all extra characters on the user name part of the e-mail address.

Source: Gmail Help Files

The Future of Agriculture and Farming

2008-09-05T20:35:00.007-04:00

By 2025, the world’s population will swell from 6.6 billion to 8 billion people. Climate simulations predict sustained drought for the American Midwest and giant swathes of farmland in Africa and Asia. Is mathematician Thomas Malthus’s 200-year-old prediction, that human growth will one day outpace agriculture, finally coming to pass? Advances in farming technology have kept us fed so far, but the planet’s resources are tapped.

The choice is clear—rethink how we grow food, or starve. Environmental scientist Dickson Despommier of Columbia University and other scientists propose a radical solution: Transplant farms into city skyscrapers. These towers would use soil-free hydroponic farming to slash demand for energy (they’ll be powered by a process that converts sewage into electricity) while producing more food. Farming skyward would also free up farmland for trees, which would help remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Even better, vertical farms would grow food near where it would be eaten, thus cutting not only the cost but the emissions of transportation. If you include emissions from the oil burned to cultivate and ship crops and livestock in addition to, yes, methane from farm-animal flatulence, agriculture churns out nearly 14 percent of the world’s greenhouse-gas emissions.

You can’t buy vertically grown groceries just yet. Most urban farming efforts have been small-scale experiments run in neighborhood parks. Despommier’s vision is bigger: a $200-million, 30-story tower covering an entire city block, stuffed with enough fruit, vegetables and chickens to feed 50,000 people. “With waste in and food out, a vertical farm would be like a perpetual-motion machine that feeds a lot of people,” he says. Most of the technology already exists, he adds, and with some refining, the project could be up and running quickly if granted 0.25 percent of the subsidies paid to American farmers in the past decade—a piddling $500 million.

Despommier is advising investors in Abu Dhabi and South Korea who are considering vertical farms for new eco-cities. Seattle and Las Vegas are investigating similar, smaller concepts. Turn the page to explore the farm of the future, inspired by cutting-edge research from agricultural companies and scientists. With any luck, it will help repel the Malthusian catastrophe for another 200 years.

Video and More
Gallery

THE AQUAPONIC MERRY-GROW-ROUND: Photo by Graham Murdoch

CROP CIRCLES TENDED BY ROBOTS: Photo by Graham Murdoch

THE WHOLE THING RUNS ON SEWAGE: Photo by Graham Murdoch

Source: PopSci.com

Cool Case: GhostofSyd's Thermaltake SwordM

2008-09-04T20:54:00.004-04:00

Quote : "This case mod was commisioned by AMD. The shell was cnc milled from 1/2" aircraft alum and then chrome plated. All the components were supplied by AMD including Phenom 2.6 9900, 2x 3870 X2 HD Radeon, CoolerMaster Copper Sphere CPU cooler, WD 400GB HDD, 2GB OCZ PC2-8000 memory GB 790FX board, 750W PCPC power supply, sponser products include Iz3D 22" widescreen monitor, Thermaltake 7" 5.25 Bay LCD, Razer Lachesis Mouse, Razer Lycosa Keyboard, 4 Black SATA II cables Pioneer BD Reader + DVD +/-R/RW SATA, MS Windows Vista Ultimate "

Source: Virtual Hide-Out

Hillary Clinton denies a kiss to Bill Clinton

2008-09-04T20:10:00.000-04:00

Bill Clinton Gets Denied A Kiss - Watch more free videos

Really Funny!!

Republican National Convention

2008-09-03T23:08:00.002-04:00

It is great to see a straight forward woman speak. Sarah Palin convinced me over voting for McCain tonight during the Republican National Convention. I believe that she is definitely a person of her word and that she will be bring some positive changes to the country.

I am not trying to convince anyone on voting for her, this is just my personal opinion. It would be nice to hear comments on other opinions. If you disagree with my opinion about Sarah Palin or, if you think like me, let us know. Express your opinion.

Gustav and Hanna are on their way

2008-08-30T18:53:00.007-04:00

It looks like Gustav might be the other Hurricane that New Orleans will need to worry about. Since Catrina, the population on New Orleans went from 450k to 300k approx. If this one hits there again, I expect this number to go down even more. Not a good future for New Orleans.

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/gtwo_atl.shtml

My thoughs on Sarah Palin

2008-08-30T18:21:00.005-04:00

I don't really have a favorite candidate for whom to vote for during this year's presidential campaign. But, I do have to admit, I would vote for Sarah Palin if she was running for president. She seems to have her head together, and yes, I know its all politics and its a little too early to say anything, but I have done some digging on her and for the most part, there is really no much negative to say about her. Most of the articles I have found are positive and show a strong minded women who knows what she wants and how to perform her job.

I am still undecided at this point since both candidates don't really have anything to offer for me. However, I would take Palin over Hillary anytime as VP.

I would like to hear your toughs on Sarah Palin.

Sarah Palin

2008-08-29T18:00:00.006-04:00

I guess I don't mind Sarah Palin being the VP for McCain. it is surprising to know that she used to be a Miss Alask beauty pageant contestant in which she finished second. Her background is pretty interesting. Check it out in Wikipedia

Sarah Palin - 1984 Miss Wasilla — She looks pretty good on this pic. She was about 18-19 at the time.
Picture Source: Wonkette.com

Source: Chris Boese's Weblog

Best Western Hotels Hacked

2008-08-28T18:07:00.002-04:00

According to Best Western Hotels, it was not 8 Million customers affected, but only 10 customers.

One of the sources for the Sunday Herald story was Jacques Erasmus, a security professional at Prevx, a malware behavioral-monitoring company. Erasmus told ZDNet UK on Thursday that he had found out about the hack by monitoring an online credit card detail-trading forum, which he declined to name.

According to Erasmus, the forum is a trading network for Russian Business Network (RBN) users. The RBN is an alleged malware-hosting gang.

"What I found was on one of the top underground forums for the RBN trading network," said Erasmus. "There was an Indian hacker selling a log-in to (Best Western's) systems, with a screenshot, saying the log-in can get access to credit card numbers and card-verification codes."

Erasmus said it was unlikely that the hacker would have sold a log-in that would only have gained access to 10 people's details, as this would affect his standing in the criminal community.

"I've seen the kinds of deals this guy does; he's high-profile on the forum," said Erasmus. "The deals (he does) are for more than $10,000. I really don't know whether he would stake his reputation on the forum for 10 (customer's details)."

More Details HERE
Source: CNET News

Morning Frost on the Surface of Mars

2008-08-27T23:25:00.006-04:00

Mars is looking pretty good!!

Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Arizona/Texas A&M University
Source: Nasa Image Galary

IE 8 New Features

2008-08-27T23:04:00.004-04:00

IE 8 to include new features such as, suspend browsing history, cookies, and other information that could identify the user.

Currently, you can clear your browsing history, but doing this means that all of your previously visited sites will be gone.

IE 8 new feature InPrivate, temporarily suspends the automatic caching functions, allowing you to keep the rest of your browsing history intact. This means that any site you visit while having the caching feature suspended won't be saved by IE.

A new way to check out the porn sites without fear of being spotted. :-)

More info here

Computer glitch delays flights across the states

2008-08-27T22:50:00.003-04:00

I can't understand how things like this can happen at a time where technology is so prevalent.

During the event yesterday, Hank Krakowski, chief operating officer of the FAA's Air Traffic Organization said, "There were so many aircraft and flight plans...it overwhelmed the system. It rejected plans and increased delays, and added to the volume, so we're managing our way out of it". How can such as system be overwhelmed with the amount of flight plans presented to it? I don't understand that.

This seems to be like a simple lack of preparation by the system's administration team.

Read more about it here

Gustav takes its toll

2008-08-27T17:24:00.004-04:00

Gustav Kills 8 in the Dominican Republic and another 14 in Haiti for a total of 22 killed in the Caribbean.

Haitians cleared up after parts of the country were devastated by the storm (Reuters)

More

Heroes: Villains Premier Video

2008-08-26T21:58:00.001-04:00

Heroes is back!!!

2008-08-26T21:35:00.007-04:00

That's right people, Heroes is back with a new season. For those who have not seen the series, check it out now at nbc.com/heroes

At 9 p.m. (ET), “Heroes” scored a 5.9 preliminary national rating in adults 18 to 49, a number that includes live viewing plus same-day viewing via digital video recorders, according to Nielsen Media Research. “Heroes” was up 28 percent from the year-ago time period premiere of “Las Vegas,” and grew on the half-hour from a 5.6 to a 6.3.

Source: Heroestheseries.com

Linux Site of the Day

2008-08-26T21:08:00.004-04:00

If there is anything you want to know how to do in Linux, go to Linux.com (HOWTO Section). This website will show you anything you need to know about Linux. You will learn how to navigate the OS as well as how to work on anything from 3D Modeling to setting up wireless connectivity. You will also be able to download the latest version of Linux as well as multiple other tools directly from the site.

The site is useful for beginners and experienced Linux users alike, check it out.

TheEvryTin Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

American Idol gets a new judge

2008-08-26T20:59:00.003-04:00

During the new season of American Idol we will be seeing a new judge joining Simon, Paula and Randy. The new judge is Kara DioGuardi who is a Grammy nominee singer-songwriter. What do you think of this change? Post your comments!!

More here

The future does not look good

2008-08-23T23:07:00.003-04:00

Scary!!!

FUTURE AFTER GLOBAL WARMING

US Women kicking a.. in the 08 Olympics

2008-08-23T16:17:00.004-04:00

The US girls are doing a great job in the Olympics.

Lisa Leslie and the U.S. women's basketball team were once again too good for Australia at the Olympics.

Leslie capped off her illustrious Olympic career with a fourth straight gold medal scoring 14 points in a 92-65 victory against Australia on Saturday night. She joined former teammate Teresa Edwards as the only basketball players ever to win four gold medals. More

US - Track and Field - A Big Failure

2008-08-21T18:46:00.003-04:00

Our only hope for medals Darvis Patton and Tyson Gay for the men as well as Torri Edwards and Lauryn Williams for the women's team, all failed to even qualify for the finals. What a shame...

Read more here

Track and Field Results:
Men and Women

2008 Olympics: Complete Medal Standings

50 Ways To Save On GAS

2008-08-20T22:54:00.002-04:00

Short Term Gas Saving Solutions

Change your oil.
Make sure your tires have proper air pressure.
Don’t constantly haul around large items.
Change your air filter.
Take off your bike rack when you aren’t using it.
Avoid things like drive through to stop idling.
Avoid braking hard.
Avoid accelerating too fast.
Plan your trips in advance to avoid wandering.
Get a GPS navigation system.
Take off slowly when you are at a complete stop.
Park in the shade.
Walk whenever you can.
Park in the first spot that you see.
Join the gasoline company loyalty clubs.
Sign up for credit cards that give your cash rewards.
Use the lowest octane gas for your car.
If your car requires a higher octane, try mixing it with a lower one to save.
Keep your eye out for gas deals while you are driving.
But don’t go crazy driving around for deals.
Check out the web to find low gas prices (see below).
Don’t fill the tank until you are really low on gas.
Fill your tank completely full.
Use the radio to avoid traffic jams.
Stay on the highway as much as possible.
Try to average 55 mph.
Buy gas on Wednesdays (statistically the cheapest gas prices fall here).
Buy gas a few days before a holiday to avoid the price hike.
Go to your dealer for a tune up.
Anticipate slowing down by keeping your eye on all traffic.
Carpool with you colleagues.
Make use of the carpool lane while carpooling.
Avoid gas stations that are right off of the highway.
Some club stores and grocery store offer gas discounts.
Ride the bus or subway at least every once in a while.
Use your car’s cruise control.
Don’t shop at gas stations that charge extra for credit card usage.
During the winter, don’t warm up the engine for more than a minute.
Make sure your gas cap is on securely.
Bring lunch with you to work, to avoid going out to lunch.

Long Term Gas Saving Solutions

Buy a smaller, more fuel efficient car.
Buy a Japanese car.
Buy a hybrid!
Buy a scooter.
Buy a motorcycle.
Buy a car with a manual transmission.
Get rid of your car.
Sign up for ZipCars.
Move closer to your work.
Replace your car’s fuel injector.

Website’s That Help You Save Money On Gas

My Mile Marker
The Top 10 Highest Gas Mileage Cars
GasPriceWatch.com
Motor Trend
Gas Buddy
Gas Price Watch
FuelMeUp.com
AltFuelPrices.com
GasNearU.com
MSN Autos

Linux - Beagle Board

2008-08-20T21:49:00.003-04:00

Enter the beagle board.

The beagle board has a TI OMAP3 processor which has 128MB of DDR RAM and 256MB of NAND Flash all on a single chip in the center of the board. It comes with DVI for monitor output, SD/MMC for storage, audio in/out, and USB. If you need additional HW, you can add it via USB devices that support linux drivers.
Price: $150
Enviromentally friendly? - You bet. It uses less than 2 watts of electricity.

More info over at Hackszine.com
and at http://beagleboard.org/

The Feed - G4 TV

2008-08-20T21:38:00.003-04:00

Here is the Feed from one of my favorite TV Shows - Atack Of The Show.

For more click here

Bad day for Kite Surfing

2008-08-19T18:47:00.002-04:00

This guy gets tosed around by the wind while kite surfing.

Possible new storm in the horizon

2008-08-19T18:23:00.008-04:00

There is a possibility of new storm coming up, I'll keep you updated

For actual image size click HERE

Google Maps Mania: Hurricane Fay Tracking on Google Maps

2008-08-19T18:21:00.003-04:00

Check it out

Google Maps Mania: Hurricane Fay Tracking on Google Maps

Your President at work

2008-08-14T23:52:00.002-04:00

Here he is in the flesh

Really cool hu!!

The Science of Changing Your Oil

2008-08-14T23:45:00.003-04:00

I found this article to be interesting and informative. Check it out, you might be surprised.

Dear EarthTalk: How often do I really need to change my car's oil? Conventional wisdom has always put it at every 3,000 miles to prevent engine wear, but isn't changing oil that frequently wasteful and unnecessary? Also, what is the "greenest" and longest-lasting oil I should use?
-- Vic Roberts, Lincoln, MA

Read article here:
Popular Science

2008 Olympics - Brute Strenght

2008-08-14T22:52:00.002-04:00

Weightlifting Accident - Olympics 2008

2008-08-14T22:39:00.001-04:00

Weightlifting Accident - Beijing 2008

NVidia's new driver pack

2008-08-14T21:53:00.004-04:00

If you want to get the latest for your NVidea video card you need to get this power pack. Its loaded with goodies, includding FREE games and demos. This new driver pack include support for both PhysX and CUDA. Check it out here:

NVIDIA GeFORCE

NVidia GeForce GTX 280 – The latest on HD and 3D Graphics.

2008-08-13T23:35:00.009-04:00

A new video card is in town, you gotta check it out.

View the Demo on the nvidia site below.
GeForce GTX 280

2008 Olympics

2008-08-13T22:48:00.002-04:00

Exclusive Summer Olympics news & widgets at NBC Olympics.com!

Michael Phelps

2008-08-13T22:39:00.004-04:00

I'm not usually into swimming, but this Onlympics has changed that for sure. Without saying much, I'm sure you are all aware, but how often does anyone gets to break more than 5 world records (some of them your own previous records) on any sport. Well, Michael Phelps seems to be that special guy. This man can swim better than anyone I've ever seen. To see more about him watch the video below:

http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/share.html?videoid=0813_HD_SWB_HL_L0370

I'm Back

2008-08-13T22:28:00.004-04:00

I know I have not writen anything for the last few months. I'm sorry for that. However, I am ready to start a new wave of updates on this blog. You will be pleased. My updates will range from anything I find interesting on the net, from the Olympics to Tech news. Please let me know if you have any sugestions or topics you'll like to see on this blog.

Thanks

Best 46 Free Utilities

2007-12-07T23:27:00.000-05:00

Of so many products out there, there are some free utilities that tend to be even better than the paid counter part. Check out this neat website which lists all these products and where you can go to download them. FREE!!!!!

The 46 Best-ever Freeware Utilities - Gizmo

Tech tool of the week

2007-11-08T23:28:00.001-05:00

I found a very handy tool that will help solve a lot of problems for the average pc user with limitted or even advanced computer skills. After personally reviewing multiple tools, I came across one that can fix several glitches on your pc without having to go thorugh your anoying tech guy. And best of all, its free.

This tool is Dial-a-fix.

This is a multipurpose utility that repairs all sorts of PC problems. For instance, the program deals with Windows Update woes, corrects installer errors, restores missing Registry entries, and fixes Secure Sockets Layer glitches. If Windows' Defragger, System Restore, or even Internet Explorer stops running, Dial-a-fix can reinstall it. Behind the scenes, the utility massages the Registry to make it run more efficiently. Dial-a-fix is free, but the authors request a $5 donation if you find it useful--and you will.

Source:

tech.msn.com

MySpace Hacked!!!!!

2007-11-08T23:14:00.000-05:00

Visiting Alicia Keys' Page And Others exposes the visitor to an exploit that installs malware unless the user is fully patched against the most recent security vulnerabilities.

By Thomas Claburn
InformationWeek
November 8, 2007 07:40 PM

Avoid Alicia Keys' Web page on MySpace. It's been hacked.

Roger Thompson, CTO at Exploit Prevention Labs, has found multiple hacked MySpace pages, including the page for Alicia Keys, the social networking site's fourth most popular music artist.

In keeping with what appears to be a new trend among security researchers, Thompson has released a video depicting the hack on YouTube. He has also posted details on his blog.

Visiting the page exposes the visitor to an exploit that installs malware unless the user is fully patched against the most recent security vulnerabilities. "They're using an exploit to install software in the background," Thompson explains in the video.

Even those with patched systems are vulnerable. The hackers have found a way to associate their malicious URL with what would normally be a non-clickable background area on the Web page. The result is that clicks outside specific clickable controls get captured and interpreted as a click on the malicious URL.

"If you click anywhere outside a given control, [the malicious URL] will be the default control that it goes to," Thompson explains. "It's a really interesting technique and it's going to catch a lot of people."

"What's not clear at this point is how they're doing it, and how widespread it is," Thompson says on his blog. "Neither Google (NSDQ: GOOG) nor MySpace seems to be indexing the critical bit of HTML. If you search for the exploit site (co8vd.cn), the only results seem to be victims, or people talking about victims."

In a conversation via instant message, Thompson said that social networking sites are increasingly become vectors of attack. "The whole point of browser stuff is that it bypasses the firewall," he explained.

A spokesperson for MySpace was not immediately available to comment on the attack.

My Christmas Story

2007-11-04T20:59:00.000-05:00

It amazes me to see how the holidays are celebrated in the US. Its not even Thanksgiving and we already have all the Christmas stuff coming out in stores. Increible!!!! There was a time when I was back in my country of origin where Christmas was all about being together with your family. Making big dinners, dancing with your family, friends and neighbors and eating apples (yeah, apples). We used to pay $12.00 (pesos) for 1 apple that most of the time was already looking like it was used to play catch. I mean, this apples had holes on them from people touching them so hard trying to find the ones that could be eaten. At the same time, they were destroying what little the apple had left. Still, for us, those apples were everything. I mean, just having them on the table was worth the 12 bucks. It was part of our yearly traditions.

Those were the times. How I miss those days! My family was still a family back them. Now we are just relatives. I talk to my mom about 2-4 times a week and to one of my 12 siblings I talk to almost everyday. The others, I sometimes go months without talking to them. Its not that I don't want to, its just that there is never any time. When there is time, they are not available to talk. So, it goes on and on.

Back in my old house, we used to have a roasted pig every year on Christmas' Eve. In addition, we had rice, beans, platanos (plantains), yuca (casaba),tostones, bananas, avocados and a lot more. Food was all over the table, and the entire family was together to welcome Christmas day. We used to sleep in the floor with all my other nephews, nieces and cousins. All the grown ups took all the beds, but we didn't care. It was actually fun. The next day was the other part of the tradition, abichuelas con dulce (sort of an extract of beans mixed with condensed milk, evaporated milk, cinnamon and other things).

Probably the most surprising thing about this whole Christmas day celebrations back in my town was actually the fact that no body was giving out gifts to each other. No that we didn't want to, we just couldn't. However; I don't remember ever needing them. We had so much fun with one another that we just didn't think about them. We also didn't expect them. The best gift, my mother always said, was each other's presence in the house. It was kind of like a rule. Every member of the family had to be there for Christmas or else my mother will chew them up when she saw them again. Those were the holidays back in my town.

Then, I arrived to the US. Here things are totally different. I actually kind of hate the holidays now. The only thing that people actually look forward to is the gifts. My wife starts shopping around and spending money right when the Christmas stuff comes out to stores. I can't go to my mother in law's house without having a gift on my hands for each and every member of the family. Or else, I'll be the black sheep for the rest of the holidays. The more I think about it, the more I dislike the holidays. I'm I weird? Sometimes I question my self about that. Anyway, I just don't see a real understanding about what Christmas is all about in this country. I don't see any traditions, except the gifts swapping of course. I guess some people still do get together and still see Christmas as just what its suppose to be. A week of harmony where you share time with your family and make some hot coco and laugh at the jokes and all this things that make the holidays so special. The days that Jesus Christ came to earth. I mean, I'm not too much into religion, but I don't go against the things that make our lives better. Things that unite us with our family. Things and days like Christmas!!

I think this year, I'm going to have a Christmas without gifts. A Christmas where there is no interest and no reason for me to see family. Just one reason and one reason only. That is to have some abichuela con dulce like we used to. Eat some roasted pig like we used to and enjoy the time lost all these years of not seeing each other as frequent as we used to.

I suggest you do the same, you'll see how good it feels. You will also see who really want to see you and who just want to come to your house because of the gift they are expecting. You'll be surprised!! Go and visit your family just to visit them, no to expect things from them.

iPhone Named 'Invention Of The Year'

2007-11-01T23:06:00.000-04:00

I don't know what to make of this article. I don't completly agree with it, yet, it does add a new spice to the future of mobile computing. Read the full article at InformationWeek's website by clicking here.

Freddie Krueger name misspelled

2007-10-31T16:25:00.000-04:00

Yeah, yeah;

I know, I misspelled Freddie Krueger's name on my Poll. Sorry to the fans, but once the poll has votes, I can't edit it. So, we'll just have to deal with it. I will make sure to search the name in the future. :-)

More California Wildfire Galleries

2007-10-24T12:35:00.000-04:00

(AP Photo/Chris Carlson)
CHRIS CARLSON/Associated Press

Firefighters from the Orange County Fire department work a 3800 acre brush fire near Irvine, Calif., Sunday, Oct. 21, 2007. Nearly a dozen wildfires driven by powerful Santa Ana winds spread across Southern California on Sunday, killing one person near San Diego, destroying several homes and a church in celebrity-laden Malibu, and forcing hundreds from their homes

Check out these other galleries of pictures showing the wildfire taking place in California and the victims.

Freep.com

California Wildfire - Out of control

2007-10-24T12:27:00.000-04:00

More San Diego County residents faced orders to leave their homes Wednesday, but others got permission to return as wildfires swirled through smoke-choked Southern California for a fourth day.

For the complete story click here for complete coverage by CNN.

Visit the CNN photo gallery here.

Google Quarterly Profit Jumps 46%

2007-10-18T21:54:00.001-04:00

When is Google going to stop making money. It seems unstoppable. I wish they shared a little with poor little me!!!!!

Read the article here

Money DOES Matter!!!!!

2007-10-18T21:26:00.000-04:00

Its amazing how much of a difference money makes in this country (or any country). Many people say, "oh money doesn't matter, love is everything or love can conquer everything". I mean, I am a loving person, but without money sometimes love doesn't mean sh...t. You can love everybody, but it doesn't mean everybody loves you. You go to a restaurant, and love is not going to serve you food without money. You want a girl, and love is not going to get you that girl (unless you are a very good liar), money has a better chance. I go to a club and no body cares, but if Bill Gates were to go into the same club, every body will be lining up to take turns with the guy.

Love alone is very hard to make you happy these days. Now without money, I don't care how much love you have, you probably will be the most unhappy person out there.

I was raised in a place where money was not as important as it is here, but still without it, you were nothing anyway. I had almost everything I wanted, but that's because I didn't know there was other things out there that I might have wanted. Once you get out of the house and go to places and see other things, then you realize that without money you can't get any of those things you might want, or might even need in order to get ahead in your future. This is what I think about money. I think of money as a tool that you need for anything you do and that without that tool, you just can't get anywhere in life.

I will like to know your opinion on this topic.

The beauty of Science

2007-10-17T22:15:00.002-04:00

I found this web gallery from www.popsci.com very interesting. I love the images and how they express how far along humans have come in this world. Click here for the full gallery.

The Ev'ryTin's origin

2007-10-17T21:14:00.000-04:00

Lately, I have been thinking of something that I could do to relieve myself of some stress. Some place where I could drop all the things I read about everyday. The things that frustrate me and that I can't get out of my system as well as the interesting things that I see and live everyday. I Went to work and after spending all day there doing the same sh...t I do everyday, I got home tire and bored, as always. I decided to check the PC (mind you, I work on a PC all day) and after surfing a little, I realized that there is no that many thing I want to do or search for on the internet. Then, I though, why not make a blog? That way, I don't have to be looking for stuff in some place I don't like. This will help me setup the things I like and the way I like them to be setup. This is how this blog was born. And hey, so far, I'm starting to like it. I think I might just give this a try for a change.

So, for the next few days, maybe months or years (depends on how I like it), I will be writing the things I encounter everyday. Things I read about such as news, technology tips and tricks, hacks, global stuff, Latin stuff, American, and anything and ev'rytin that I come across on my daily routine. You can expect to see an update almost everyday at around this time, or maybe earlier.

I will take suggestions or e-mails with interesting things you might want to add, but prefer comments on the ones I post. So, if you are going to send something to be posted, please make sure is worth my time. Again, this is something I think will help me release my stress and that will help those that like me are just bored with the same old sh..t that's out there.

So far, I like the way this post is going. I already feel better. I'll be back again tomorrow and see what else I can get out of my system. Thanks for reading - if anyone is reading this that is. :-)